February Reads

February is full of storms, snow and rain that proves it’s still winter but a great time to curl up indoor and ignore the rest of the world.

Othello by William Shakespeare
This tragedy of jealously, love and status has beautiful language that is a pleasure to listen to, read or analysis. The dramatic imagery combined with the extremely fast paced plot creates the stunning fall of Othello from greatness. Iago’s soliloquies are as beautiful as frustrating as you watch him unravel the lives of everyone around him. Iago is one of my favourite villains and he is perfect opposite the tragic hero of Othello. This play is a great way to see how tragedy can be explored effectively.

Eeny Meeny by M.J. Arlidge
A mystery based around detective inspector Helen Grace. It’s an easy read with an ethical dilemma at the centre of the plot, the idea of kill or be killed is interesting and engaging . The narrative has a range of viewpoints pulling the reader in but the resolution seemed to fall short of the build up as the villain was almost pulled out of nowhere for the sake of a twist. A book to read whilst it’s raining outside one afternoon.

Finders Keepers by Stephen King
Opening on the murder of an author by an obsessed fan pulls the reader immediately as one is greeted by the violence that surrounds Morris Bellamy. He becomes a constant threat lurking as Pete Saubers unknowingly walks in his steps. King builds the tension as more and more pieces appear on the board and danger grows with each word as the resolution hits. I had to keep putting it down to pace out the nerves before diving straight back into the gripping story I could not leave. After finishing the last page it felt like taking a breath again because the story is so consuming and brilliant.